Top news today evening: India’s GDP slips further, Pragya Thakur’s apology and more

From India's GDP slipping to a 26-quarter low of 4.5 per cent in the second quarter to Pragya Thakur issuing apology in the Lok Sabha over Godse remarks, here are the top news of today evening.

India’s GDP growth slips to 4.5%, slowest in more than six years

India’s GDP growth slipped to a 26-quarter low of 4.5 per cent in the second quarter (July-September) of the current fiscal, data released by National Statistical Office (NSO) Friday showed. The GDP growth rate has now slowed for the sixth consecutive quarter with the previous low recorded at 4.3 per cent in March 2013. The July-September growth rate of Gross Value Added (GVA), which is GDP minus net product taxes, has slowed to 4.3 per cent as against 6.9 per cent a year ago. Read more here

Explained: Why GDP rate at 4.5% now makes RBI projection hard to achieve

At 4.5 per cent, the GDP growth rate is much lower than 5.3 per cent projected for July-September by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its October policy. For the country to clock a growth rate of 5 per cent for the full 2019-20 financial year, it would now have to grow at least 5.2 per cent in the remaining two quarters of this fiscal. Read more here

Uddhav stays Aarey carshed work, says ‘not a single tree leaf will be cut’ till further notice

In his first major decision after assuming office as Maharashtra Chief Minister, Uddhav Thackeray Friday ordered a stay on the Aarey carshed work. “I have stayed Aarey carshed work, not a single tree leaf will be cut till further notice,” he said after a cabinet meeting with senior bureaucrats. He clarified that the stay is on Aarey carshed and not on the metro development, adding that the project would resume after it is reviewed. Read more here

Brace for a warmer winter in India this year, says IMD

The winter season this year would be warmer than usual over the country, said the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) Friday. In its statement for Seasonal Temperature Outlook, issued for the period between December and February, the weather agency said the seasonal average minimum temperature would be above normal by over one degree Celsius. Read more here

Knives Out movie review: This Daniel Craig film is worth your time

Johnson writes and directs this story, set in Agastha Christie mould, with fewer twists than one expects. The centrality of its surprise, in fact, lies in how simple and straightforward it is. It may not give you the thrills of having solved a crime ahead of the filmmakers, but the film might just reinforce your faith in the goodness of hearts, without the burden of any deep-set sociological analysis. Read more here

My Godse remark distorted, Rahul Gandhi should apologise for calling me terrorist: Pragya

BJP MP Pragya Thakur Friday said her Nathuram Godse remark was taken out of context, adding that former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi should tender an apology for calling her a “terrorist”. “If my statements have hurt anyone, then I would like to apologise. But I would also like to say that my statements were twisted and presented in another manner and this is condemnable,” Thakur said in the Lok Sabha. Read more here

‘Peak Pakistan fielding’: Shaheen Afridi kicks ball for boundary

A misfield by Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi on Day 1 of the Adelaide Test summed up the day for the visiting team on Friday. Afridi, who was ironically the only bowler to get a wicket on the day, as Australia pulverized Pakistan into submission by putting on 302/1 by Stumps, was trolled on social media for what looked like kicking the ball into the boundary for a four. Read more here

A fan asked Ricky Ponting for a photo, but he didn’t want it with the cricketing legend

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting is one of the most popular cricketers in the world, and is no stranger to fans approaching him for selfies and photos. However, when one fan in Australia asked the former skipper for a photo, it wasn’t with the cricketer. Read more here